Amid High-Profile Dispute, City to Consider Self-Storage Zoning Moratorium

The city of New Britain is set to consider a moratorium on self-storage facilities amid a high-profile controversy between a former Republican City Council member and Republican Mayor Erin Stewart about a development plan on East Street that includes a self-storage proposal.

Chamberlain Square LLC owner, James Sanders, Jr., has been in a very public dispute with the Stewart city hall, saying the city has been blocking his plans to utilize 600 East Street as an Extraspace Storage facility for the building that has long been used and allowed as a warehouse and a former storage facility for New Britain-based moving companies since the 1950s. Sanders says his project “would generate an additional $220,000 in tax revenue” and when accompanied by his TOD (Transit Oriented Development) project for housing ‘could add an additional $250,000 or more” in taxable property.

Sanders said that discussions with the city about the proposal had been positive, but that the city then issued an interpretation that use of the property for self-storage is not, as Sanders maintains, a legal use, but would require a variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals.

But a moratorium would appear to block even a variance application. In a public notice posted on August 10, 2023, the city says that the City Council’s Zoning Subcommittee will hold a public hearing to, among other things, consider a proposal,

To amend the Zoning Ordinances Sec. 220-20 and 220-20-10 to enact a moratorium for a specified time period on certain uses (self-storage facilities).

In July, Sanders announced that he is seeking election to the City Council in Ward 1, running as an independent.

The proposal is one of only a number of other proposals to change city zoning and the Zoning Ordinances, after the Council approved a raft of sweeping zoning changes in June. Other proposals are:

• To change the A-3 (multifamily) and B-3 (neighborhood mixed use) located along Glen Street to CBD (central business district).
• To change the OP (office and public buildings) district located at 458 and 462 Farmington Avenue to T (residential) district.
• To amend the Zoning Ordinances Sec. 240-50 relating to the maximum access driveway requirements for parking in the front yard
• To amend the Zoning Ordinances Sec. 217-20; 217-30 and 217-40 relating to the TOD (transit-oriented development) Districts to establish a more pedestrian friendly environment.
• To amend the Zoning Ordinances Sec. 125 and 125-10 relating to the SRD (special residential design) District to establish a floating zone to be overlaid on existing multifamily residential-zoned parcels

The hearing is to be on Tuesday, September 12, 2023, at 7:00pm at City Hall. The city says that,

At this hearing interested persons may be heard and written communications may be received. Copies of said items are available for public inspection during normal business hours in the Office of the Town and City Clerk. Individuals seeking to join the public hearing remotely may join the queue beginning at 6:55 pm by calling 1 (339) 209-6176.

Members of the public may attend meetings in person or view a live broadcast of the meeting online via the livestream link: https://www.newbritainct.gov/meetings

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